SACRAMENTO, CA – The 5th Annual Sacramento Taco Festival, which is held on Del Paso Boulevard between El Camino Ave. and Arden Way, is comprised of several event components that has made it fun and unique among Northern California festivals. Three of these events have become especially popular among Taco enthusiasts, the Taco Eating Contest, Northern California’s Chihuahua Beauty Contest, and Professional Wrestling. But it’s the new contests that will focus on culture and history.
This year’s Festival has attracted the nationally recognized disc jockey and TV personality Big Al Sams, a favorite among fans of KHYL 101.5 (V101fm) and “Mark at the Movies.” Big Al, originally from Chicago, will be hosting this year’s Taco Eating Contest, which is being sponsored by V101fm/iHeart Radio. It is a contest that measures the person who can eat the most regular size tacos in 60 seconds, with the winner walking away with The Taco Trophy, a guaranteed $100 prize money plus the pot collected from the $5 entry fee. Last year’s winner set a new record of eating 6 tacos in 53 seconds.
“We’re very excited to have Big Al Sams join us this year as host of the Taco Eating Contest,” Says Festival Coordinator Mina Perez. “He’s going to make this annual contest much more fun than what it already is and I understand some of the wrestlers a joining the competition too.”
Speaking about wrestlers, Action Coast Empire is back for its third year providing some action-packed grappling, that will include some of Northern California’s most popular wrestlers, including “The Russian Wolf” Alexis Darevko and North Sacramento’s own Brittney Wonder. The afternoon wrestling will feature for the first time, a much sought after wrestler – the very ominous “FunnyBone.”
“We were perhaps the first festival to feature professional wrestling as part of the entertainment,” says Perez. “And our tradition continues this year because of its popularity and we always make sure we have men and women wrestling.”
Perez adds that the unique entertainment throughout the festival is what makes it fun, interesting, and ideal for the whole family.
“The contests and people winning prizes is one of things the Taco Festival is becoming known for,” she says. “This year we’re adding a singing contest where all contestants must sing at least a minute and a half of the Academy Award winning song “Remember Me” from the Disney/PIXAR move “COCO,” and we also have a Crazy Hat contest – it’s a light-hearted attempt to rival the Kentucky Derby’s hat wearing tradition, and which history we share.”
Once called Rancho Del Paso, in the mid to late 1800s North Sacramento was the world’s largest racehorse breeding and pasturing ranch owned by James Ben Ali Haggin, whose horse “Ben Ali,” became the only Kentucky Derby winner from the region. But it was the great stallion “Salvatore” that won international fame by beating Tenny in a challenge race that captured the hearts of millions. Ridden by legendary Jockey Issac Murphy, an African American whose tragic story is yet to be formally told, Salvatore beat Tenny by a nose in the June 25, 1890 race.
The 5th Annual Sacramento Taco Festival is scheduled for June 2, 2018 from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm on Del Paso Boulevard in Old North Sacramento. Tickets are $7 online (Eventbrite) and $10 at the gate. Children 12 and under are free. For more information or tickets visit www.sactacofest.com.
